


Bring Back What Once Was Mine

by kitsurama



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Inoue Orihime, Canon Divergence - Winter War, F/F, Fix-It, Orihime-centric, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-01 22:52:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12714450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitsurama/pseuds/kitsurama
Summary: This time, she's going to be the one to protect everyone.





	Bring Back What Once Was Mine

**Author's Note:**

> I was watching Tangled with my cousins kid and when I heard the healing incantation my brain did a thing and this was born. Anyways, hope you enjoy! I totally haven't edited this yet, so if you see any typos sorry.

She was always the one being protected.

The damsel in distress, the one needing saving, the weak link.

She bares it all with a smile and endless optimism, but she hates feeling so damn helpless. She can heal, she can shield, but what good does that do even everyone’s already dead?

Chad fell first--- _ protecting her _ . Aizen was always a bastard, too smart and with intimate knowledge of where to hit to hurt Ichigo the most.

Orihime never forgave herself when Chad threw her out of the path of a cero, weak from battle and with no hope to survive himself. Never forgave herself when she looked at Ichigo, raw with anger and hurt at the sight of his best friend dead.

(It should have been her, the darkest parts of her whisper when she’s alone. She’s the liability, the one everyone gets hurt protecting. It should have been her.)

Ichigo was never the same after that, no matter how much he tried to hide it.

It only got worse from there.

Renji fell next, and Byakuya wasn’t far behind his Lieutenant. Then Isshin, Ryuuken, Tessai. The Visord all fell one by one until only Hiyori and Shinji were left. Gin died saving Rangiku who was protecting Hitsugaya, and in her rage, followed her best friend to death.

One by one, everyone fell until only a handful of people were left.

Then Ichigo died.

He was protecting her as she healed the remaining Captains, his last words to Urahara and Ishida being _ protect Orihime. _

She hates herself. 

They were on the run after that, never staying too long in one place in fear of Aizen's Hollows corning them. Running only got them so far, though.

“No!”

Orihime screams, catching Ishida as he falls. She can still hear Urahara and Shinji as they fight off Aizen, can hear Rukia as she holds off the Hollow trying to get to her, but all Orihime cares for is the last of her Human friends dying in her arms.

Her powers are useless as Ishida lays in her arms, dead before they even hit the ground.

“I reject! I reject! I REJECT!”

Everything explodes.

  
  
  
  
  


Orihime wakes up to the sound of Tatsuki pounding on her door, asking what’s taking her so long.

She lays there, staring up at the once familiar ceiling of her room back at her apartment in Karakura Town. She would swear it was a dream, an illusion by Aizen, if not for the last thing she remembers.

_ I reject! Everything---all of it! Bring me back! Let me save everyone! _

Urahara once commented that her powers play God, the ability to reject events, but who knew she could reject the future?

Orihime bites her lip, forcing back tears as she tumbles out of bed, running to the door and throwing it open before Tatsuki can yell at her some more and knocking her best friend down in a hug.

“Woah---Orihime? What’s wrong? Do I have to kick someone’s ass?”

Orihime laughs, hiding her face in Tatsuki’s shoulder.

“Sorry, I just---nightmare. It was all a nightmare.”

Tatsuki doesn’t say anything, only wraps her arms around the shaking Orihime and holds her close.

Orihime missed her.

  
  
  
  
  
  


When they get to class, Orihime almost sobs at the familiar sight of Ichigo and Rukia bickering over his desk, Chad a silent presence behind them and Ishida studiously ignoring them all.

Instead, she plasters on a smile and greets them all cheerfully.

Rukia looks at her for a long moment as Chad nods and Ichigo returns the good morning, curious and calculated before greeting her politely as well. Ishida blinks, bemused, but Orihime doesn’t care, only beaming when he greets her in return.

  
  
  
  
  


After class, Orihime reassures Tatsuki she’s fine, and no, she doesn’t need her to walk her home, but thank you, i’ll see you later, before heading towards the Urahara Shoten.

She greets Tessai and Ururu and Jinta with a smile, nostalgic and a tad sad at seeing them all alive and well again. They watch her, confused, but she turns to Urahara and bows.

“Please,” she says, “train me.”

Urahara blinked, waving his fan airily. “Oh?”

Shun Shun Rikka comes alive in a burst of gold before she rises, face set stubbornly as she repeats. “Please.”

Urahara’s fan snaps shut.

“Please,” Orihime says, again, and perhaps Urahara see’s something in her that reminds him a little too much of himself because he nods.

Orihime is not a Shinigami, or a Hollow or a Visord or even a Fullbringer. She’s human with power granted to her from her desperation and desire to not be useless in the face of everything she and everyone she cares about will go through.

Orihime is human, but she doesn’t need a Zanpakuto to be deadly.

(Once upon a time Orihime would shy away from violence. But she’s been through war, held her friends in her arms as they die and she’s been powerless to help them.

No more, though.

Orihime will be the one to bring Aizen to his knees this time.

Orihime will be the one to save them all.)

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Urahara doesn’t ask questions, and Orihime doesn’t explain that she traveled back in time to save the world. The time to tell her story will come, she knows, but not now.

Orihime goes home before it gets dark, a promise to come back the next day to start her training.

She doesn’t bother undressing, or fixing dinner, she slowly drops herself on the floor, leaning her head on her bed as she stares at the wall.

Orihime won’t waste this chance, won’t regret anything, but it hurts something fierce to see everyone again. Hurts in a way that has her curling into herself, breathless with sadness. Orihime has always been the optimist, the cheerful one in the face of everything, but she’s so goddamn tired.

She falls asleep like that, curled on the floor with tears stuck to her eyelashes.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The next day, she gets hit by a car on her way back from Urahara’s.

To be exact, her Hollow brother pulls her out of the way before she can get hit.

Ichigo and Rukia come running, and Orihime almost forgets how to breath as she catches the flickering presence of her brother disappear.

“Are you okay?” Ichigo asks, as Rukia leans down to inspect her leg.

Orihime laughs, carelessly, and assures them she’s fine.

Rukia looks at her, and Orihime looks away.

  
  
  
  
  
  


“Tatsuki.” Orihime greets, and something cold settles in her stomach. Tonight is the night Sora is going to attack. She doesn’t want Tatsuki to get hurt, not because of her.

But she smiles and welcomes her in, despite the sick feeling bubbling in her chest at the thought.

She won’t let her brother hurt her friend, she promises to herself. She will protect Tatsuki.

It’s fierce and fiery and Orihime smiles a little easier, with a little more teeth, as they sit down for dinner.

(Orihime loves her brother, but no one hurts her friends.)

It’s a little while later that the wrong feeling slides into her senses, and Orihime can’t help but tense as her teddy bear falls, a deep cut down it.

Orihime doesn’t even realize she’s moving until she throws herself in front of Tatsuki, Shun Shun Rikka forming a shield before she can say _ hollow _ and blocking the claws that aim for the girls.

She grits her teeth, sets her feet, and Tsubaki breaks away in a flash to cut her brother down.

This time, no one gets hurt.

This time, Ichigo doesn’t have to save her.

This time, she saves her brother herself.

  
  
  
  
  


(“What---” Tatsuki whispers, but Orihime turns fast, settling her hands on her best friend's shoulders. Ichigo and Rukia will come running in soon, even if the hollow is gone, and Orihime can’t let herself be outed yet.

“Not now,” she says. “I’ll tell you later.”

Tatsuki nods, watching as her hair clips reform.

She’s never seen that look on her friend's face before, and she’s not sure she likes it.)

  
  
  


Like she predicted, Ichigo comes bursting in her home in his Shinigami form, Zangetsu out and ready. She pretends she can’t see him, talking happily with Tatsuki as they watch TV.

“What?” he asks, scratching his head. “Damn, guess I was wrong.”

He watches them for a moment, and Orihime’s skin prickles at his gaze, but she focuses on Tatsuki, on the show they’re watching, and he leaves just as quick as he came.

She can hear him yelling at Rukia outside, and she can’t help the fond smile.

“Orihime?” Tatsuki questions, watching her curiously as she blinks, focusing back on her friend as she hears the two leave.

“Do you trust me?” she asks.

“Of course,” Tatsuki answers.

  
  
  
  
  


Tatsuki takes the news of hollows and Shinigami and her powers quite well.

Of course, growing up with Ichigo and his ability to see ghost probably helps.

Tatsuki might not be as spiritually aware as herself, but she’s smart and been around Ichigo enough with his new powers to sense spirits, even just a little.

Orihime doesn’t tell her friend everything, nothing about the future or Aizen, but she’s not going to keep Tatsuki in the dark this time. Tatsuki died fending off a hollow, protecting Ichigo’s sisters in the future, and she deserves to know.

_ I’ll protect you, _ Orihime promises, but Tatsuki smiles and takes her hand.  _ We’ll protect each other,  _ she says instead,  _ and all the other idiots involved. _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Tatsuki follows Orihime the next time she goes to Urahara for training, demanding the man to train her too.

Orihime would really like to argue, but Tatsuki is all fire and stubbornness fit to the shape of a girl and she’s more likely to get a Zanpakuto than change her friends mind.

Urahara sighs, but concedes, saying that Orihime could use a sparing partner.

The first time they fight, Orihime tosses Tatsuki over her head within ten seconds, much to the other girls shock. She grins at her though, proud, and Orihime smiles back.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Tatsuki and Orihime are at school when Ishida uses the hollow bait.

Mentally, Orihime swears in ways that would make Kenpachi proud at the Quincy.

Orihime doesn’t wait this time, doesn’t try to hide or get her friends away, she squares her shoulders, tells Tatsuki to get Chizuru away and runs. She can hear Tatsuki yelling, hear Chizuru’s confused voice, but she only flares her reiatsu, catching the hollows attention.

She can feel Urahara closing in on Chad, and she breathes a sigh of relief as she turns, golden reiatsu spiking as her spirits come out.

It’s over before she could say Shun Shun Rikka.

  
  
  
  
  


Orihime steps into Urahara Shoten, nodding a greeting at Tessai as she makes for the room Chad and Urahara are in. She smiles at the Shinigami, settling down beside the dark skinned boy and calling forth her healing abilities.

Urahara makes a interested noise---even after all this time he’s curious about her abilities, and Orihime can’t help the minute twitch of her lips as he leans in.

Chad wakes up within moments, blinking at the sight of her and Urahara looking over him.

“How do you feel?” she asks, and pretends her hands aren't shaking. She couldn’t save him last time, she’s not going to fail ever again.

“Fine,” he replies, looking at the shopkeeper bemused.

Urahara grins behind his fan, and offers Orihime a hand as he stands. “Shall we go see the show?”

  
  
  
  


Orihime huffs, watching as Ishida and Ichigo take turns bickering and killing hollows.

_ Idiots,  _ she thinks, but it's fond.

She doesn’t look at chad, doesn’t look at Tatsuki as they watch the Shinigami and Quincy fight. It’s only when the battle's over, when they’re both exhausted on the ground does Orihime move.

Rukia makes a surprised noise when she appears, brushing past Urahara who doesn’t bother to stop her. Chad and Tatsuki come up behind her, but stop, letting her settle between the boys and call upon her powers to heal.

Orihime smiles as she can hear Rukia interrogate the shopkeeper, smiles as Tatsuki comes to her defense in a huff.

She missed this.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


They don’t tell the boys who healed them, and they don’t ask.

Life goes on, only Rukia is now shooting her curious looks, and Orihime can’t force herself to look the girl in the eye.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Urahara takes on Chad as a student, introduces them all to Yoruichi, in car form of course, and she proceeds to run them all into the ground.

The time to storm Soul Society is closing in on them, and Orihime nearly forgets, but she feels Renji and Byakuya appear late into the night, and she’s out the door in a second with her heart in her throat.

She runs into Urahara on her way, and those few precious seconds he delays her almost costs her, as she bolts around the corner right before Byakuya sever’s Ichigo’s soul chain.

“No!” She shouts, an echo of a time not yet come to be, but Shun Shun Rikka is fast enough this time, and Orihime throws herself between the Captain and Ichigo, shield pressing back his attack.

“Orihime?!” Ichigo shouts, but she only glares at Byakuya. He’s surprised, she knows, even if he doesn’t show it, and she snarls in warning. “Don’t you _ dare _ hurt him.”

Ichigo takes that moment to collapse, sharp noise cutting through the silence that descends upon them.

Rukia is wide eyed from where she stands by Renji, but Orihime doesn’t turn to him, choosing to stare down the older Kuchiki.

“Are you going to try to stop us too?”

“No,” she answers, ignoring Ichigo as he sputters.

Byakuya eyes her, before turning to leave.

“No!” Ichigo snarls, all untempered rage as he tries to stand. “Inoue! Rukia---she---”

“Enough, Ichigo.”

Her shield comes down, spirits whirling around her as she watches the Shinigami.

Rukia watches her as well, torn and the barest flicker of hurt in her eyes as her brother pushes her forward. She looks one last time to Ichigo, an apology in her eyes, but pauses as Orihime says, “Rukia-san.”

“We’ll save you, just wait for us.”


End file.
